Telephone pay-station.



PATENTED DEG. 1967 G. A. LONG.

TELEPHONE PAY STATION. APPLICATION rum) nov.1e, 1905.

2 sums-8mm 1.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE A. LONG, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THEGRAY TELEPHONE PAY STATION COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

TELEPHONE PAY-STATION.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. LONG, citizen of United States of America, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone Pay-Stations, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for collecting a toll for the use of a telephone instrument and it is particularly adapted for use in connection with telephones of the automatic type in which there is no central operator to make the connections, but in which the subscriber manipulates the apparatus to put his instrument in circuit with the one which he desires to call, and then presses a button which rings the bells at the called station. The general mode of o eration of these machines is well understoo and m invention relates in no way to this part 0 the apparatus, it being confined entirely to the devices by which a toll may be collected.

The particular object of the invention is to provide means whereby the calling subscriber need not pay for the use of the instrument unless he gets into communication with the station which he is calling to the eX tent of being able to hear, but unable to converse. In accom lishing this object the receiver of the telephone is in a normally closed circuit and the transmitter is in a normally 0 en circuit, the transmitter circuit being 0 osed by the deposited coin.

In the drawings Fi ure 1 is a general view of a telephone set of t e automatic type with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the mechanism-of my pay station with the casing removed to clearly show the construction. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a pay station showing the coin slot 0 en. Fi 4 is a similar view to Fig. 3 but s owin t e coin slot closed as by the switch hook ever with the receiver hung on it. Fig. 5 shows diagrammatically one way in which the transmitter circuit is closed.

Referring to the drawings 0 denotes in general the'case for the telephone instrument, b the transmitter, c the receiver on the switch hook lever 12, e the-connection dial, f the rin ing push button, and 9 denotes in genera the pay station.

I will now describe in detail the mode of operation of this telephone system. It is well understood that the receiver is first removed from the hook, which action unlocks the connection dial and the desired connection ismade by manipulating the dial in the usual manner. Placing the receiver to the ear, the button f is pressed; the calling subscriber can immediately tell if the line is bus by a peculiar noise which he will hear.

the line is free the bells at the called station will be rung.

Pay statlons have been applied to instruments of the automatic system before but have been operated in such a manner that it was necessary for the calling subscriber to deposit the coin before the push button would become operative to ring the bells at the station desired. In consequence, if there was no answer from the called station the calling subscriber would lose his'money without getting any service in return. By my present invention this objection is removed.

Referrin branch 1 o the transmitter circuit is closed while the branch 2 is broken, one end being connected with the binding 'post 3 and the other with the binding post 4, the blocks 5 6 on which these binding posts are mounted being insulated from one another. From the binding post 4 this branch ofthetransmitter circuit goes to the batter and then out onto the line. The coin or to en which is to pay for the service is dropped through a suitable coin channel and deposited between the insulated blocks 5 6, bridging the gap in the branch 2 of the transmitter and putting it in circuit so that the calling subscriber can talk to and be heard by the called party. It will thus be seen that the entire mechanism is always operative with the exception of the transmitter, permitting the calling subscriber to know whether or not anyone answers at the called station; if he gets the answer at the receiver then he deposits his coin, putting the two instruments intofull communito Fig. 5 it is seen that the rests.

charge the coin between the blocks 6.- 9 is a return channel intowhich false and small coins are dropped and delivered at the outsideof the case into the clip 9. The blocks 5 6 are separated some little distance from "one another; on the block 5 is mounted a downwardly extending lever 10 upon which a slight pressure is exerted by the spring 10 tending to throw ittoward the bloc 6, 01ming a tapering recess of slightly less width than the diameter of the coin. From the side of the block 5 a plate 11 projects towards the block 6 against which the side of the coin A lever 12 extends through the front door of the telephone casing andhas at its inner end the rod 13, whose upper end is arran ed in operative relation with the switch hoo lever, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This lever 12 has two arms, one 14 projecting upwardly and carryin at its end a plate 15 adapted to fit over an close the coin slot 7.

The lower branch of the lever 16 has at bottom a stop 17 which is projected over the coin depositing outlet 18 when the receiver is off the switch hookto hold the coin in place to form the connection between the ment of the coin. If the, cal ed a s onds the coin is de osited through.

ends of the branch 2 of the transmitter circuit. This lever 12 takes the position in Figs. 2 and 3 when the receiver is ofi the switch hook lever, as clearly shown. Whenfrom the hook, mani ulates the connection dial and rings the bel s by pressing the button f. The action of removing the-receiver from the switch hook lever allows the rod 13.

to rise under the impulse of the spring 13, rockin the lever 12 to uncover the coin slot 7 andt ow the stop 17 intothe ath of moverty re- 8 0t 7 passing down t on h the com channel 8, droppin nto the position shown in Fig.2

- between t e block 6 and the lever 10 and resting on the stop 17. The coin is tilted slightly in this position so that it rests with its side against the plate 11. It will also be seen that it is wedged in between the-block 6 and-the lever 10, which, being spring mounted, yields slightly; thus a contact is rovided not only on the edges but on the si e of the coin. This com letes the transmitter circuit and throws t 0 two instruments into full connection so that the calling subscriber can .talk to the party at the called station.

When the conversation is ended the receiver is hung up on the switch hook lever drawing it down to the position shown in Fig. 4 which the coin Tthrough the rod 13 rocks the lever 12 so that the plate 15 closes the coin slot and the stop 17 is withdrawn from under the coin. This lower branch 16 of the lever carriesa pin 19 which rides up the upwardly inclined projecback away from the. block 6, allowing the coin to pass through the depositing outlet 18 blocks connecte with the ends 0 the broken branch of the transmitter circuit, said blocks being insulated from one another, a coin channel having its outlet arranged so as .to deliver a coin between said blocks to complete the circuit, and means controlled by the switch hook lever for holding said coin in po- ,is off the hook.

2. A tele hone pay station for use in automatic telep one systems in which the receiver circuit is normall closed and the transmitter circuit norma y open, com risin the casin having a coin slot, a coin c anne within t ecasing registering with said slot, two fixed blocks insulated from one another and connected with the ends of the broken branch of the transmitter circuit, said coinchannel being arranged to deposit the coin between saidiblocks to close the circuit, and a sto having operative connection with the switc hook-lever and adapted to hold said coin in osition between said blocks when the said over is raisedand to be withdrawn from under the coin when said lever is depressed by the weight of the receiver.

3. A telephone pay station adapted for use'with. an automatlc telephone system in which the receiving circuit is normally closed and the transmitter circuit normally 0 en, comprising the casing having a coin s ot, a coin channel within the casing registering with said coin slot, fixed blocks insulated from one another andhaving theends of the broken branch of the transmitter cirl cuit secured thereto, the delivery end of said coin channel bein arran ed above the space between said blocl cs in or or to deposit a coin to close the gap in the transmitter circuit,

and havin operative connection with the switch hoo lever by whichthe coin slot is closed and the coin deposit outlet opened whenthe lever is down, and the coin slot tion 20 on the lever 10, throwing the lever 10 pringina normally in an 0 en circuit, com rising fixed sition between said blocks while the receiver and mechanism independent of said blocksinto the money box. Theplate 15 acts asa in payment for the use of the circuit, fixed blocks insulated from one another and connected with'the ends of the broken circuit Wires, a pivoted lever mounted on one block and pro'ecting downwardly and towards the other biock, said lever when in position to receive a coin forming'with the opposite.

block a tapering recess, substantially as de? scribed.

5. In a telephone ay station device in which there is a norma ly open circuit adapted to be closed by the coin which is deposited in payment for the use of the instrument,

fixed blocks insulated from one another and connected with the ends of the broken circuit Wires, a lever pivoted to one block and projecting downwardly and towards the other block, a s ring tending to throw-the lower end of said lever towards the opposite block to form a tapering recess to receive the coin, means connected with the switch hook to retract said lever when said hook is down.

6. In a telephone ay station device in which there is a norma ly open circuit adapted to be closed by the coin which is deposited in payment for the use of the instrument, fixed blocks insulated from one another and connected with the ends of the broken branch of the transmitter circuit, a lever pivotally mounted on one of the blocks extendin downwardly and spring pressed toward t e op osite block toforma ta ering recess into w 'ch the coin is deposits edgewlse, and a plate mounted on said block and forming a support against which the side of the coin lies, a coin channel arranged to de osit a coin to close the circuit between said insulated blocks, the switch hook, and mechanism connected therewith for holding said coin between said blocks while said hook is raised, said mechanism being withdrawn when saidhook is down and retracting said lever to allow the coin to pass to the money box.

-7. A telephone toll apparatus for use in connection with automatic telephone systems in which the receiver circuit is nor- -mally closed and the transmitter circuit normally open comprising a casing inclosing the toll collecting mechanism and a money box,

a coin slot through the top of said casing, a coin channel registering with said coin slot, a coin depositing outlet through the top of said coin box, said coin channel registering with but terminating at a distance above said coin depositing outlet, fixed blocks insulated from one another, each being connected with one end of the broken branch of the transmitter circuit, said blocks being located at either side of said coin depositing outlet, a lever pivotally mounted on one block extending downwardly between said blocks and spring pressed towards the opposite block, a switch hook, a stop lever having operative connection therewith and carrying at its lower end a stop projection adapted in connection with said lever and the opposing block to form a ocket to receive and hold the deposited coin when the receiver is off the switch hook, and engaging parts on said stop lever and said spring pressed lever whereby when the receiver 1s on the switch hook and the stop lever withdrawnsaid.

spring pressed lever is retractedto ermit the coin to pass through the coin dbposit outlet into said box, substantially as described. p y

In testimonywhereof I aflix my signature in presence f wo Witnesses.

GEORGE A. LONG.

Witnesses:

H. E. HART, D. I. KREIMENDAHL. 

